Middlemarch: Spoiler Discussion Thread

[Chris]

Well I finished this afternoon. A very fitting ending. I gave it 5 stars.

[Susie]

And another one finishes...congrats!

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Chris wrote: "Well I finished this afternoon. A very fitting ending. I gave it 5 stars."

Wonderful.

[Alex]

Yes, finished in the night. Some great stuff in the last chapters and the finale. Eliot's first sentence of the finale, "Every limit is a beginning as well as an ending," rang a bell. Semisonic's hit song "Closing Time" has this line: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Eliot should get royalties. Fred Vincy and Mary Garth both tried their hand at writing, but neither got the credit for their own work. Eliot notes, "...there was no need to praise anybody for writing a book, since it was always done by somebody else." Ha! Put me in line with all the other men who fell in love with Mary Garth.

[Chris]

Alex wrote: "Yes, finished in the night. Some great stuff in the last chapters and the finale. Eliot's first sentence of the finale, "Every limit is a beginning as well as an ending," rang a bell. Semisonic's h..."

I noticed also the epigraph to chapter 70 "Our deeds will travel with us from afar, And what we have been makes us what we are" is used frequently in Dream Theater's 'Scenes From a Memory' album although it's slightly adjusted if memory serves to "Our deeds have traveled far, what we have been is what we are...".

I believe those that do not have the quote noted are her own but I may be wrong.

There were some others I spotted along the way but couldn't remember what I was recognizing them from.

[Keighley]

I absolutely adore this book. Without a doubt, this book is one that completely changed my life.

What I loved about it is the fact that the characters that I loved at the beginning of the novel, I came to dislike towards the end and vice versa. George Eliot plays with characters so well and so realistically in such a subtle way that you don't know what's happening to your response to the characters until it happens.

[Susie]

Keighley wrote: "I absolutely adore this book. Without a doubt, this book is one that completely changed my life.

What I loved about it is the fact that the characters that I loved at the beginning of the novel, ..."

That was true for me too...Eliot's reveal of the characters and their development over the course of the book made me appreciate her that much more.
It was so satisfying to stay with it and see how I came to change my views of certain people over the course of the book...it totally justifies the length of it imo...

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Eliot does shine on making her characters into "real" people.

[Keighley]

What I especially love is how subtle these characters shifts are. It is so incredibly realistic.

[siriusedward]

very much so.
and the ending very satisfactory.poor Lydgate though.still dislike Rosamond.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Yes, Rosamond was not very likable.

[Tami]

I finally finished Middlemarch this weekend. It looks like the group beat me by several years!

It was a bit slow to get into, and it is SO long, but I couldn't put it down for the last 200 pages. I have many thoughts I'm still processing after having read it, but what seems to be hanging with me the strongest is the fact that this book was serialized. This is not the first serialized work I've ever read, but I could easily imagine where the author broke the story up for publishing purposes. It amazes me how cleanly it breaks into parts of evenly numbered sections. Not only is the whole novel well crafted, but the shape of the novel was also finely crafted. I would also venture the opinion that Eliot improved greatly as a writer from the beginning of the novel to the end. I greatly appreciate a novel that one can tell was not just written, but crafted.

I also appreciate the many cultural and historical lessons the novel provided for the times. History is my favorite subject, and Historical Fiction my favorite genre.

This is the first book I've finished since joining the group. I'm enjoying rattling around the discussions and such.

Best,
T

[Rosemarie]

I read this book years ago. It does get you hooked at the end.
I have read it twice, with a huge gap in between. I enjoyed it both times.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Tami wrote: "I finally finished Middlemarch this weekend. It looks like the group beat me by several years!

It was a bit slow to get into, and it is SO long, but I couldn't put it down for the last 200 pages. ..."

It does start slow, I agree. But it is a wonderful book.

[Tami]

Rosemarie wrote: "I read this book years ago. It does get you hooked at the end.
I have read it twice, with a huge gap in between. I enjoyed it both times."

This was my first read, but it has been on my list for years. I'm glad that I've finally finished and that I actually bought the copy I read, and made lots of little notes. I can see reading it again someday. Thanks for your response, especially since I'm about 3-years late in posting - I certainly am enjoying this group.

[Rosemarie]

You're welcome. I didn't belong to this group three years ago. I have read some terrific books since joining two years ago.

[Tami]

Katy wrote: "Tami wrote: "I finally finished Middlemarch this weekend. It looks like the group beat me by several years!

It was a bit slow to get into, and it is SO long, but I couldn't put it down for the las..."

It is super slow, at first, but when I thought about the 24 "chunks" it was originally published in (Dec. 1871 - Dec. 1872) I decided to read it in pieces (over days not months). I can't even imagine what it must have been like to wait for a monthly/bi-monthly publication to resume. Not that waiting for a new book in a series in this day and age isn't interesting. We are so fortunate to have the access we do to books today. I am so grateful for those who blazed the trails before us. I know that went a bit off-topic - thanks for responding to my many years late post.

[Tami]

Rosemarie wrote: "You're welcome. I didn't belong to this group three years ago. I have read some terrific books since joining two years ago."

I'm super excited about finding this group!

[Kathleen]

Tami wrote: "I finally finished Middlemarch this weekend. It looks like the group beat me by several years!

It was a bit slow to get into, and it is SO long, but I couldn't put it down for the last 200 pages. ..."

An excellent choice for your first book with our group, Tami. (It might be my all time favorite.) I've read a few of her other books now, and every one of them has taken me a long time to get into, but been so worth it in the end--just like you say.

[Sara, New School Classics]

Congrats on Middlemarch, Tami. I agree that it is a wonderful way to begin with the group. Welcome aboard and I hope to share some reads with you down the road.

[Li]

His dull expectation of the usual disagreeable routine with an aged patient—who can hardly believe that medicine would not "set him up" if the doctor were only clever enough—added to his general disbelief in Middlemarch charms, ...

That's from chapter 12. I'm confused by this sentence. Can anyone explain or rephrase it? Thanks!

[Kathleen]

Li wrote: "His dull expectation of the usual disagreeable routine with an aged patient—who can hardly believe that medicine would not "set him up" if the doctor were only clever enough—added to his general di..."

Well Li, you made me pull my book off the shelf and have a look! I think what she's doing here is giving a feel for Lydgate's attitude, so we can see later in the sentence how it changes with the appearance of Rosamond.

So Lydgate is expecting something he's experienced many times with older patients: they are shocked that the doctor can't fix them ("set him up"), and blame that on the doctor not being clever enough. He's expecting this and doesn't much like the town--this is the "background to his vision of Rosamond ..." (Then before she's done with the sentence, Eliot adds the difference between the way Featherstone treats Rosamond versus Mary Garth.)

I love writers who bring lots of things into one sentence--it can allow for packing so much depth into the story. But I know that isn't to everyone's taste.

[Li]

Kathleen wrote: "Li wrote: "His dull expectation of the usual disagreeable routine with an aged patient—who can hardly believe that medicine would not "set him up" if the doctor were only clever enough—added to his..."
Thank you, Kathleen. Now that you explained it, it makes sense and the meaning is clear now.
The last book that I read with long sentences was The Portrait of a Lady. I think I will read both books twice at least as I trust these are the kind of books that reward rereading.

[siriusedward]

Katy wrote: "Tami wrote: "I finally finished Middlemarch this weekend. It looks like the group beat me by several years!

It was a bit slow to get into, and it is SO long, but I couldn't put it down for the las..."

yes, yhis is such a great book.Her writing is lovely.

[Mela]

Finished today. Brilliant. I can't wait to re-read it.

I have just written my review, so I am not going to repeat myself (here my review)

[Shaina]

This was my first time reading this book. I loved it. I might not have understood a lot of the political aspects but I was quite invested in all the characters and their personal lives. After book/part 1 & 2 I couldn't stop reading. I had to stop myself from reading it at a stretch.

I loved Mary Garth and how sensible she was compared to the rest. I was happy with Will & Dorothea's ending too. Brooke was the funniest character and I laughed out loud several times reading his statements. As for Lydgate, I think he got what he deserved.

[Li]

Finished the book today. I regret having wasted time reading many cheap thrillers in my previous life, this is the book to read!

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Li wrote: "Finished the book today. I regret having wasted time reading many cheap thrillers in my previous life, this is the book to read!"

That is a wonderful way to describe the feeling of reading a classic!

[Michaela]

Finished it today, and give myself 5 stars for finally having finished it. ;) The last chapters were easier to read than esp. the political ones.

It´s sad to read that men didn´t care much for their wives, as Lydgate and Bulstrode, whose wives have to hear from neighbours about their husbands´ problems.

[Christine]

I just finished Middlemarch! It took me two months, but I am glad I took my time with it. It has been hard for me to focus for very long on more challenging books this year, and I enjoyed it much more by taking it in small chunks and enjoying them rather than trying to force myself through it. I am also happy that I listened to the audio narrated by Juliet Stevenson. Her narration always adds to classics for me!

The thing I enjoyed most about this book was how deeply we get to know all these characters and getting to watch them grow and change. I looked forward to visiting the inhabitants of Middlemarch each time I went back to the book.

I'm very glad this was chosen as a group reread this fall! It has been on my TBR for so long and the group gave me the prompting I needed to finally tackle it.

[Sara, New School Classics]

Middlemarch by George Eliot is the March 2024 Old School Classics Group Read. This is the spoiler thread.

[Jakub]

I'm at 25% and i'm liking it a lot so far. I can see why it is considered one of English literature masterpieces.

Dorothea is a little naive, idealistic, a little self-absorbed. Casaubon is lacking on emotional side, he doesn't seem to have much social skills and has no idea what having young wife might imply and what marriage is even about. This mismatch is quickly leading to few of the best chapters I've ever read, which i'm calling Tragedy in Rome.
They seem to make each other unhappy, yet I don't believe any harm is intended by either party. It is clearly stated that Casaubon didn't try to deceive Dorothea in any way. His famous proposal letter was clear indication that he is a little bit disconnected. Maybe not even a little bit:

For in the first hour of meeting you, I had an impression of your eminent and perhaps exclusive fitness to supply that need (connected, I may say, with such activity of the affections as even the preoccupations of a work too special to be abdicated could not uninterruptedly dissimulate); and each succeeding opportunity for observation has given the impression an added depth by convincing me more emphatically of that fitness which I had preconceived, and thus evoking more decisively those affections to which I have but now referred. Our conversations have, I think, made sufficiently clear to you the tenor of my life and purposes: a tenor unsuited, I am aware, to the commoner order of minds.

Can we blame Dorothea that she married him after reading this letter? Not sure, she was I think 19 at a time projecting her own vision onto this marriage. Narrator also mentions "ambitious ideas" that took possession of her. It's all quite sad especially after Will mentioned that all this work that Mr. Casaubon is doing might be pretty useless.

she was as blind to his inward troubles as he to hers

[George P.]

I'm at 45% now, and plan to read 1% every 2 days (so 6 months total). It's a pretty easy pace for me to maintain. I'm afraid if I go any slower I'll forget too much. I listened to the first part in audio but now reading ebook.
Eliot put so much into it- there isn't just one theme explored but many.
I wonder how long it took Eliot to write? From what wikipedia says it sounds as though there was less than a year of total work on it, which is impressive for so long a novel.

[George P.]

Jakub wrote: "...Casaubon didn't try to deceive Dorothea in any way. His famous proposal letter was clear indication that he is a little bit disconnected. Maybe not even a little bit..."

Casaubon wrote a lot like Henry James, which in my opinion is not an admirable style. I don't think James would have made a very good husband either, at least for 95% of women. Dorothea thought she was one of those 5% apparently, but found out eventually that she actually wasn't.

[JenniferAustin]

I am about two thirds of the way through, and am on the edge of my seat! I am so grateful to have comments by others to read. I am loving this book, and I think very few people I know in person have read it, or ever will.

I came across this quotation by T. S. Eliot, in On Poetry and Poets: "And I am quite sure that Rosamund Vincy, in Middlemarch, frightens me far more than Goneril or Regan." He says this in a discussion of how an author creates a vital character. George Eliot is amazingly good at creating characters that fascinate me.

[Bob, Short Story Classics]

I finished this last week. It started a little slow and finished with a WOW that was good!

[Anulekha]

I am 20% in and agree with everybody's observations about Dorothea and Casaubon.
At the moment, I prefer Celia over Dorothea, as Dorothea can be obtuse towards others' feelings and sometimes is unnecessarily or unconsciously rude, whereas Celia quietly observes everyone around.
I am going a little slow so I might take a week or two to finish this.

[George P.]

I'm making progress, slowly. I'm now at 56% according to my kindle. The romance and marriage of Dr. Lydgate and Rosamund gives a nice needed lift to the darker bits of the overall story, although I've just read a bit where she tells her husband she wishes he were not a doctor- not good, that is what he had dedicated himself to. I'm also worrying about Fred Vincy, wondering if he'll get his act together. Perhaps being cut out of the will will turn out to be a good thing for him.
I don't plan to finish until sometime in June, so others of you who are going slowly will have my company-

[Franky]

I finally finished. It took me quite a bit of time because I was working so much and had other priorities but I really ended up enjoying this book quite a bit. I felt almost empty and a bit of a void after finishing the last page because I had invested so much time into reading every day. I really thought the characters were well drawn and I like how Eliot really digs into the nature of human conflicts and how they have to grapple with setbacks and struggles and life's realities. I know that Dorothea is a polarizing figure in book club discussions and reviews (with sides either criticizing her or praising her), but I really thought she was interesting and quite a noble and well rounded character who stuck to her convictions and beliefs despite what others thought. I guess my only thing I didn't care for was the petty gossip contained within Middlemarch, but I know that Eliot put it in there to make a point. Anyhow, I'm glad this was chosen and it was a good journey and experience to read this book. I'm interested in watching the miniseries from the 90s now.

[Anulekha]

I am halfway through and like Middlemarch quite a lot. Initially, it was a bit dragging, but now it has picked pace. The characters have started developing as well. I stand corrected on my stance on Dorothea. She seemed opinionated initially, but after her marriage to Casaubon, I feel so much for her, trapped in a marriage where one must tread carefully around the other.

[Anulekha]

I finally finished Middlemarch. Taking time to read helped me to understand the characters and appreciate the overall goings on in the novel more.